Leading by five points with under two minutes remaining Friday, Free State High’s football team needed one more defensive stop.

On the field, Free State’s players were exhausted. Earlier in the fourth quarter, they allowed two scoring drives — the first two touchdowns the Firebirds' starting defense has allowed all season.

But with the game on the line, the Firebirds weren’t going to give up an inch, earning a 21-16 victory over Park Hill (Mo.) on a defensive stand at their own 35-yard line at FSHS.

On fourth down, Free State junior Jax Dineen provided pressure on a blitz and senior cornerback Kwinton Lassiter broke up a pass, starting a wild celebration. Several players ran to hug Lassiter. Others raised their arms as they sprinted back toward the sideline.

“I almost started crying,” Free State senior linebacker Bo Miller said.

Prior to the fourth down play, Lassiter told Miller that he might need some help against Park Hill’s top receiver, Ronnie Bell (eight catches, 89 yards, two touchdowns). Miller pressed Bell at the line of scrimmage, which was a late-game adjustment by FSHS defensive coordinator Mike Gillman, to help disrupt the route.

Facing Park Hill’s offense, which averaged more than 44 points per game, the Firebirds forced two straight turnovers on downs at midfield. Park Hill had two touchdowns called back on penalties in the first half.

“One of the greatest feelings of my life,” senior linebacker David Johnson said, “and I’m not even kidding about that. ... It was the toughest game of my life."

The Firebirds (3-0, ranked No. 2 in Class 6A) spent all week studying film of Park Hill’s offense and they believe it made a world of difference. The game meant more to them because they were facing the top-ranked team in the metro area and they wanted to prove themselves.

Lassiter grabbed an interception in the first half, while sophomore lineman Turner Corcoran recovered a fumble after a long drive by the Trojans (4-1, ranked No. 1 in Missouri’s Class 6) to open the third quarter.

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